Best-ever Track/Field Athlete From YOUR High School

[dukehjsteve]

Let's see what we can come up with here.... who knows, it might be one of us. The best I can do is:

Huntington, NY HS

Henry Jackson, nationally ranked triple jumper in late 60's.. Stand out at Western Kentucky.

It might be interesting to see who "wins." Once we get a bunch of names we can squabble about ranking them, if they are good enough for us to evaluate.

[dj]

Swarthmore (Pa) HS: Jeff Kirk '41 ('48 Olympian 400H)

[Double R Bar]

Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California: Quincy Watts: 2 gold medals in 1992 Barcelona.

He wasn't the only Olympic champion from Taft High School.

[odelltrclan]

That I know of: Don Janicki, Mesa High School.

Ran 4:09 mi and 8:58 2mi in high school and later became Pac 10 champion in 10,000m and Olympian in marathon I believe.

[bijanc]

GOAT

I attended a couple. From St. Albans, LSU and Oly hurdler Larry Shipp. From McKinley Tech, probably Howard U. sprint relay man Reggie Sojourner. I have to think more about Tech grads though (e.g., Michael Archie was a nice middle distance runner).

[Davidokun]

Sherri Howard

San Gorgonio HS, San Bernardino, California

[Conor Dary]

Marty Riessen who played amateur and professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s and was ranked as high as No. 11 in the world in singles on the ATP Rankings (achieving that ranking on September 4, 1974), ran cross country at Hinsdale Central and won the mvp one year.

[gh]

Re: Best-ever Track/Field Athlete From YOUR High School

Let's see what we can come up with here.... who knows, it might be one of us. The best I can do is:

Huntington, NY HS

Henry Jackson, world ranked triple jumper in late 60's.. Stand out at Western Kentucky.

It might be interesting to see who "wins." Once we get a bunch of names we can squabble about ranking them, if they are good enough for us to evaluate.

Sorry, wasn't world ranked: 5, 5, 8, 10 in the U.S. Ranks though.

[gh]

from my HS:

Dianne Gerace, Ranked No. 6 in the world in the HJ in '64 (also 15th in Oly pentathlon that year)

Gerry Moro: Oregon's first 16-foot vaulter, 2-time Olympian, 3rd in NCAA PV in '65.

Bob Yard: NCAA Indoor champ in PV in '65.

Barrie Johnson: 8th in NCAA LJ, 7th in TJ in '67.

Tony Tenisci: 3rd, 7th, 8th, 7th in NCAA HT in '69, '70, '71, '73

Teresa Lenardon, Pan-Am Junior TJ champ about '80.

Not bad for a town of 10,000 out in the boondocks of British Columbia, eh?

(also school for former NL rookie of the year Jason Bay and two NHL rookies of the year)

And daughter of classmate of mine was first girl ever to pitch in the Little League World Series.

[bambam]

from my HS:

Dianne Gerace, Ranked No. 6 in the world in the HJ in '64 (also 15th in Oly pentathlon that year)

Gerry Moro: Oregon's first 16-foot vaulter, 2-time Olympian, 3rd in NCAA PV in '65.

Bob Yard: NCAA Indoor champ in PV in '65.

Barrie Johnson: 8th in NCAA LJ, 7th in TJ in '67.

Tony Tenisci: 3rd, 7th, 8th, 7th in NCAA HT in '69, '70, '71, '73

Teresa Lenardon, Pan-Am Junior TJ champ about '80.

Not bad for a town of 10,000 out in the boondocks of British Columbia, eh?

(also school for former NL rookie of the year Jason Bay and two NHL rookies of the year)

And daughter of classmate of mine was first girl ever to pitch in the Little League World Series.

Dianne Gerace also mother of Rick Fox, UNC and NBA basketball player

[gh]

....
Dianne Gerace also mother of Rick Fox, UNC and NBA basketball player

And consummate bad-ass con on Oz on HBO

[dukehjsteve]

Re: Best-ever Track/Field Athlete From YOUR High School

Let's see what we can come up with here.... who knows, it might be one of us. The best I can do is:

Huntington, NY HS

Henry Jackson, world ranked triple jumper in late 60's.. Stand out at Western Kentucky.

It might be interesting to see who "wins." Once we get a bunch of names we can squabble about ranking them, if they are good enough for us to evaluate.

Sorry, wasn't world ranked: 5, 5, 8, 10 in the U.S. Ranks though.

You are right about that Garry. I got mixed up.

[Mighty Favog]

Where I work: Start HS, Toledo OH. Probably Kim Jamison, Olympic Trials qualifier in '84. If not her, then Stacey Nadolny, a 4-time Ivy discus champ.

Where I went: DeVilbiss HS, Toledo OH (closed since '91). Doubtless Chris Brown, who will be inducted to our hall of fame this Friday night. 2x Big East 200m champ and the last high school sprinter who ever beat Chris Nelloms. We were decent (3 Ohio team titles & 2 team runners-up between track & XC) but rarely had anyone make much impact after high school.

EDIT: Geoff Zahn had a 13-year MLB career and then was the head baseball coach at Michigan. He ran XC at my school. But I don't think this is the kind of thing we're looking for.

[jules]

Washington High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Mike Manley, 1972 Oly steeplechaser.

[Non Potest]

Kingston College HS Jam

Lennox Miller silver medallist '68 OLYS 100m
bronze medallist '72 OLYS 100m

honourable mention

Davian Clarke OLY finalist '96 400m
'04 400m
world indoors silver '04

2 time NCAA champ 400m

3 silvers and 3 bronze in 4 x 4 @ OLYs and World Champs